A Thousand Years
by Antigone97
Summary: After years of dreaming, Ringo finally sees Casshern again.


A/N: Slanted words are thoughts.

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A Thousand Years:

She looked out to the field of flowers that swayed with the wind under the high cliff on which she stood. In front of her rested the littered bodies of long a long forgotten friend and a father figure. She was all grown up; no signs of ruin anywhere on her body. She still danced in the rain and took swims in the ocean, yet she wouldn't rust.

Ringo went down to the field of flowers, plucking them from the ground. She knew that Lyuze and Ohji would love these on their grave. Some days, she would think about what life would be like if they never succumbed to the ruin, and stay with her forever. But she knew that couldn't happen. Other days, she would think about what it would feel like to never meet Casshern or Lyuze. She would smile at how silly her thoughts were.

Ringo picked up as many flowers as she could and walked back to the grave site, placing them neatly. She felt a nudge from behind her. Friender looked up at her tugging at her dress. She touched the robotic dog's smooth black body. It was just them. It has always been them for the longest time. Ringo had lost count of the years, but she knew it had to be at least a few hundred or thousand years.

She wondered why Casshern didn't take her with him when he left. She knew he didn't abandon her on purpose, but that if she went with him, she would have gotten injured and cause Casshern so much grief. After he left, she fended for herself, and learned how to do things on her own. It was easy, but the emotional toll that went with it crushed her. Everyday she would hope that Casshern would return to her and travel like they used to.

Tears started to slide down her face. Ringo looked to the sky and broke down. The clouds got dark and produced rain. Ringo started to calm down when she felt the raindrops on her skin. She wiped her tears away and started to smile to herself. She was sad yes, but the rain always had a way to make her feel better.

Ringo walked back home with Friender following behind her. She couldn't sleep that night. She couldn't help but think about Casshern. Somehow she knew he would come back for her. Ringo started to hum, falling asleep on the last note.

A week passed since she placed the flowers on Lyuze's and Ohji's grave. The flowers were wilted. She went back down to the field to pick more. She looked up to the cliff and saw a black figure looking down on the grave site. Friender was also right beside the mysterious person. Usually he would bark at strangers.

Ringo walked back up the cliff, dropping the newly picked flowers on the ground. She smiled at the stranger, holding back tears. She started to walk, and then sprinted towards the stranger. She almost knocked him over. She hugged him tightly as she softly said his name.

"Casshern." Ringo buried her face into Casshern's chest.

"Ringo, you've grown so much. After so many years, it's wonderful to see you again." Casshern squeezed Ringo tighter to his body.

"You haven't changed at all. You still look the same when you left." She smiled brightly at him.

Casshern had doubts that Ringo was still alive, yet she was standing in front of him with no signs of the ruin anywhere. She had lived a good life without him, and was still beautiful as ever. Casshern caressed Ringo's face in his hands, lightly kissing her forehead. Ringo blushed and stepped back from him.

"What was that for?" Ringo looked confused.

"Still cute as ever I see." Casshern laughed at her. Ringo pouted and crossed her arms.

Casshern walked over to where Ringo had dropped the flowers, and replaced the old ones on the grave. He remembered when he and Lyuze were enemies from the very beginning, then becoming close friends. Eventually they became more than that. Casshern loved her. There was something about her that he was drawn to. Casshern was pulled from his thoughts when Ringo placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I understand now, and I know how hurt you are Casshern. You loved her so much, just like I loved Ohji."

Casshern couldn't help but let tears run down his cheeks. He loved Ringo as well. He took her hand in his and held it. Ringo wiped his face off with her fingers. She then hugged him again, as he cried on her shoulder. He shouldn't have come back. He knew this would happen, but seeing Ringo again made him happy. It made this whole journey worth it.

"Ringo, are you mad at me for leaving you alone by yourself." Casshern controlled himself and looked at Ringo.

"No, I'm not. Sometimes I was, but I knew you would come back one day. I learned that my anger clouded my thoughts. I was wrong to think like that. Plus I wasn't completely alone." She motioned to Friender.

"I see. Ringo can you ever forgive me?" Casshern backed up from Ringo.

"I already have Casshern." Ringo held out her hand towards him. Casshern reached for her hand and grabbed it.

"Well I guess it's time for me to go."

"Go where Casshern? You just got here."

"I guess wherever the wind goes." Casshern turned his back to Ringo and started to walk away. "Goodbye Ringo."

"Wait Casshern! Promise me something. Promise me that you'll come back soon. I'll wait another thousand years for you if it takes that long." Ringo called out to him as he turned back around.

"I promise Ringo." Casshern waved goodbye to what was left of his life after he disappeared.

Ringo waved back to Casshern, as he crossed thru the field of flowers. The wind picked up; the flowers swaying with it. Ringo watched as he vanished from her field of vision. She looked up at the sky and fell backwards on the ground. She relished on what just happened. For so long, Ringo had gotten what she wished for. She smiled to herself, closing her eyes and imagining her next encounter with Casshern.

"_He came back Lyuze. He finally came back home."_

End.

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This fanfiction had been crawling into my mind for sometime and I've been procrastinating on doing it. But now it's finally done. Hope you guys liked it!.

Review please. :)


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